Defender
by bemj11
Summary: When Nessie needs help, she goes to her Uncle Jasper, because there isn't much he wouldn't do for his niece, and little he wouldn't do to protect her.


"Hey, Uncle Jazzy?" My niece paused in the doorway, nervous and slightly embarrassed. I was instantly on the alert, wondering what was wrong. It took a lot to embarrass Nessie, and usually she went to someone else with whatever her problem was.

Usually I read to her, or Emmett and I took her shopping, or she came to me when she wanted something she figured Bella or Edward wouldn't let her have or do because they were, in her opinion, being unreasonable, and Jacob agreed with them. Like learning to ride a motorcycle. I was _still_ in trouble for that one.

"What is it, Nessie?" I asked, deciding whatever she wanted probably wouldn't get me into trouble later, seeing as the rest of the family was here, and we would be leaving for school soon anyway.

"Can I ride to school with you today?" She asked innocently, though she knew I didn't usually drive to school. Usually I rode with Alice, and Nessie rode with Jacob or her parents.

I wouldn't mind driving her; Alice wouldn't mind either, though she would play at being annoyed and make fun of me. She swore I was as bad as Jacob when it came to spoiling Nessie, though she was the one who was always buying some outfit or some dress for Nessie. The child had more clothes than Alice herself had.

"Sure." I agreed. "You clear this with your parents?"

She nodded, shyly. "Yup. And Auntie Alice didn't even have to convince them to let me." Edward was getting better, but he still got nervous about me being around her, alone, at least. He was usually fine as long as someone else was there too.

"Alright then." I said. "Let's go."

I waited until we were in the car and on our way to get to business. "What's up?" I asked.

She was embarrassed again. "Maybe I just wanted to ride with you." She said lamely. She was unconvincing even without a reading on her emotions.

I rolled my eyes. "You know, lying to an empath is about as effective as lying to a mind reader, Nessie." I said, and she grimaced.

"Okay, but don't get mad." She replied nervously.

"Mad?" I asked. "Why would I get mad?" If she thought I would get mad, there was probably a reason for it, though I didn't tend to get upset easily.

"Well, that's why I wanted to ask you. Mom and Dad are overprotective, and Jacob would kill him, and Uncle Emmett too, probably. And I certainly don't want to ask any of the others. I can only imagine the nightmare that would be." She was speaking rapidly now, worried. "So don't get mad, okay?"

"Sure." I agreed.

"Promise?" She asked, not certain if she should believe me.

"Promise." I replied. I wondered what I was getting myself into. Edward was probably going to kill me. Alice could have warned me, but perhaps she had given up by now. She complained that I couldn't say no to Nessie to save my life.

"I need to ask for a favor." She said timidly.

"Okay…" I was dead. I knew it. If not Edward, then Jacob would kill me. Or worse, Bella. One of them was going to murder me for whatever it was I was about to agree with. I didn't have to know what it actually was I would be agreeing to to know I was in deep.

"Well, there's this guy in my Spanish class…" She began slowly. Spanish class. Taught by Señor Jose Mendez. He was pretty cool, as far as humans went. I certainly got along well with him, though it may have been that I spoke Spanish fluently and willingly around him; most of the students in Spanish I and II weren't interested; he practically had to drag information out of them. He liked being able to have a conversation in Spanish, and claimed I spoke it like a native.

"Don't tell me you want to break up with Jacob." I joked when she faltered. "I am _not_ giving him the bad news."

She couldn't decide whether to be amused or annoyed. She chose to roll her eyes at me. "Ha, ha, very funny, Uncle Jazzy. I'm not interested in the guy." She frowned. "In fact, that's the problem. He's interested; I'm not, and he won't take a hint. He's like my own personal stalker."

She growled. "It's so annoying. Like, he sits next to me, and offers to help me with my accent." I laughed; she had caught on rather quickly when given the opportunity to hear the language spoken properly, and several members of the family had been more than eager to help her with that. "And he stares at me, and asks me to go out with him, and says I should 'dump that loser Jake' as he says. And he keeps trying to touch me." She was embarrassed again. "Not anything really bad, but well, you know how teenage boys are." I rolled my eyes. I knew far too well.

Well enough to think this guy was taking things a little too far, and well enough to wonder if perhaps I _should_ get mad.

"I'm afraid Jacob's going to find out and kill him." She admitted. "Or Dad. Or Mom."

"Or that Emmett might try breaking his arm." I agreed. There had been a boy, once, who had upset Rosalie. I'd never seen Emmett so angry.

"Right." She agreed. "But I tried asking him to back off, and he won't. So I was wondering if maybe you could scare him off without hurting him."

I sighed. "So you want me to not be mad, but to get rid of the creep for you. Without tipping off your parents or Jacob. Is that right?"

"Yeah." She confirmed. Then she looked concerned. "Are you mad?"

I shrugged. "I probably would be, if you hadn't asked me no to." I admitted. "I _am_ irritated, however. But I think I can promise not to hurt him." I reassured her.

She beamed at me. "And you won't tell Mom or Dad?" She added.

I groaned. "I can try, Nessie, but you know your Dad."

"He's paranoid, and might well find out anyway." She admitted. "But you'll try?"

"Of course." I agreed. We had reached the school by this time, and would be going to our separate classes. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Edward note our arrival and go on into the school. I stifled the slight irritation that he still wasn't completely comfortable with me being around her as we got out of the car. "I'll see you in Spanish." I whispered as we headed our different ways.

I caught a flash of confusion and alarm from her as she headed to her first class.

Conveniently enough, Nessie's Spanish I class coincided with my history class. The history teacher was almost as impressed with me as the Spanish teacher was. It would simple enough to let the history teacher know I wouldn't be in class today and drop in on Señor Mendez's class.

Miss Stuart said it was fine that I had to miss, said she'd see me tomorrow, and reminded me that there was a history report due next Monday. I thanked her and walked down the hall to drop in on Nessie.

Alice passed me in the hall and rolled her eyes at me. She laughed. "Thanks for the entertainment." She whispered. "We were watching a documentary on sea urchins in science. You're hopeless, by the way."

I chuckled, and found Senor Mendez's class. "Buenos Dias, Senor." I said as I stepped through the door.

"Ah, Señor Hale. ¿Como esta Usted?" Mendez greeted me cheerfully.

"Bien, gracias." I replied. "Y Usted, señor. ¿Cómo esta?"

"Mas o menos. ¿Qué necesitas?"

"¿Por favor señor, mi hermanita quiere que yo venga a clase con ella este día." I explained.

"Bueno. Siéntase."

"Gracias." I said, walking back to join Nessie, who was rolling her eyes and trying to ignore the boy standing beside her.

He stood with one foot resting on the seat of the chair beside her, and was leaning towards her, and was rather closer to her than I considered appropriate. As I approached, he slid into the chair and scooted closer, trying to put his arm around her.

I chose that moment to tower over him, my hands resting on the table as I leaned forward to get the boy's attention. "Hey, Nessie." I said casually. "Who's your friend?" I allowed a note of disapproval to enter my voice on the word friend. I would give him a fair chance, though I doubted he would easily take the hint.

"This is Scott." Nessie replied. "I don't really know him that well." She added, removing his arm from around her, irritated.

"And who are you?" He asked. He was annoyed with me. He was trying to hit on with Nessie, and I was interrupting.

"I'm Jasper." I introduced myself, although we both knew that everyone knew who the members of our family were. "Jasper Hale. Nessie's brother, in a manner of speaking." Uncle, actually, which was far more of a threat.

I lost patience with the boy as he scooted closer and tried to position his arm around her waist and leaned even closer, lowering my voice so that we would be the only three in the room to hear what I was about to say.

I let myself glare at the boy. "This morning on the way to school Nessie mentioned some boy in her Spanish class." I let a menacing tone creep into my voice. "She mentioned that he was thick headed and couldn't take no for an answer. She said he was bothering her."

I gave him a good dose of fear for extra effect. "Now I'm the kind of guy, believe it or not, that doesn't like it when people mess with my family, especially when the family member in question is a lady. And I especially don't like it when people bother my sisters." His eyes were wide; he was taking in every word.

"So here's what's going to happen." I said, smiling. The smile only worried him further. "You are going to keep your hands off my sister. You are also going to find somewhere else to sit. In fact, you are not to so much as speak to my sister ever again, unless she wants you to, in which case she will speak to you first. I don't want you to look at her, I don't even want you to think about her." I leaned close enough that I could have bitten him, easily. But I wasn't interested in that. "Have I made myself clear?" I asked.

He nodded, shakily, and swallowed nervously. I smiled again, and backed away; I would let him fear me for a little longer. It would be good for him. "Nice meeting you." I said. He understood it for the dismissal it was and was out of the chair in a shot. I claimed the vacated seat and looked up at him. "By the way," I said casually, "I'm the easygoing one where Nessie's involved." Let him be warned that no one else in the family would take kindly to him bothering her either.

Nessie rolled her eyes as the boy left. She wasn't impressed by my 'tough act' as she put it, which was one thing for which I was immensely grateful. My niece had never at any point in her life feared me in the slightest.

"Thanks." She muttered as Señor Mendez started class.

"You're welcome.¨ I replied. The truth was, there wasn't much I _wouldn't _do for my niece.

Disclaimer: Twilight _still_ does not belong to me. Stephenie Meyer absolutely refuses to sell it.


End file.
